Wind surfing has become a very popular sport. It combines the thrills of surfing, and the tranquility of sailing. Windsurfing can give the unbeatable feeling of being out in the open, gliding effortlessly over beautiful, clear waters. It's a sport where you can cross great expanses with a friend or explore unchartered waters alone. A windsurfer has virtually unlimited access to the nation's waterways.
Windsurfing combines surfing and sailing by mounting a sail on a universal joint, requiring the sailor to support the rig, and allowing the rig to be tilted in any direction. This tilting of the rig fore and aft allows the board to be steered without the use of a rudder. In the early 1970's, only one board was mass produced. The durable polyethylene boards were suitable for all sailing levels, simply because they were the only boards. Beginners learned on them, and experts prevailed on them. Everyone made the windsurfer work, regardless of the conditions.
By the late 70's windsurfing fever had caught on. Equipment development progressed at a fevered pitch through the mid-80's. Since then, windsurfers on extremely specialized equipment began sailing in winds of 40 knots and above, and have pushed that speed up to an incredible level. Everyone wants to go faster and faster.
Now there are many different types of windsurfing including cruising, freestyle, slalom sailing, bump and jump sailing, and wavesailing. With all of these types of windsurfing, there is a desire to have a more aerodynamic setup such that the windsurfer can move faster and further.